Load transporting trailer

Abstract

A trailer is provided that is especially suited for transporting bicycles and has load supporting, suspension, storage, parking, and rolling functions. The trailer has a main frame providing a trailer bed, adapted to support a plurality of bicycles, and a high performance suspension system. The suspension system includes a pair of independent suspension units including trailer wheels mounted by suspension arms on opposite sides of the main frame for elevational movement in earth traversing positions and for pivoting movement between the earth traversing positions disposed outwardly of the sides of the main frame and stowing positions folded under the main frame. The suspension units include heavy duty shock absorbers that cushion the bicycle or other load, maintain the bicycles in level upright positions during earth traversal, and maximize traction of the wheels. The frame and suspension units are movable between a traveling mode wherein the trailer bed of the frame is generally horizontal and the wheels are in their ground-engaging positions and a collapsed, stowing mode wherein the frame and suspension units are upright in a generally A-shaped relation and the wheels are in their stowing positions. A tow bar is interchangeably connected to the main frame in a towing position or in a stowing position. The trailer is also tiltable with a load of bicycles into a parking position, can be rolled sideways on its wheels when collapsed, and is made of parts that can be dissembled for convenient UPS shipping and then subsequently re-assembled for use.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A trailer having earth-traversing and stowing modes, comprising: a load-supporting frame having front and rear ends and opposite sides, said frame providing a trailer bed lying in a generally horizontal plane when in the earth-traversing mode;   a pair of transversely spaced suspension arms having front ends individually pivotally mounted on the front end of the frame for independent elevational movement of the arms relative to the frame when the trailer is in its earth-traversing mode, said arms extending rearwardly and outwardly and having rear portions restively extending along opposite sides of the frame;   a pair of transversely spaced ground-engaging wheels individually mounted on the rear portions of the arms adjacent to the opposite sides of the frame for elevational movement with the arms, the peripheries of the wheels extending upwardly in adjacent relation to the trailer bed in said earth-traversing mode and also extending rearwardly in adjacent relation to the rear end of the frame; and   a pair of shock-absorbers connected to the frame and the respectively adjacent rear portions of the arms so that each shock-absorber, working through elevational movement of its associated arms can maintain the trailer bed in a generally horizontal attitude when stationary and during earth-traversing movement and can also maintain traction of the wheels with the ground.   
     
     
       2. The trailer of claim 1, wherein said pairs of suspension arms and shock absorbers constitute a pair of suspension units having an earth traversing mode wherein the units are generally vertically disposed in transversely spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of the frame and a stowing mode wherein the units are in a generally common plane and in side-by-side relation to the load supporting frame and folded thereunder;   wherein there are a pair of legs projecting rearwardly from the rearward end of the frame;   wherein there is a tow bar;   wherein there are couplings adapted to connect the tow bar to the frame in both the earth traversing and stowing modes; and   wherein the tow bar is connected to one of the couplings for the stowing mode whereby the legs and tow bar are in triangular relationship with each other in said stowing mode and are engageable with a support surface to support the trailer in the stowing mode.   
     
     
       3. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the frame is rectangular; and   wherein the wheels are disposed outwardly of opposite sides of the frame in said earth traversing mode.   
     
     
       4. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each shock-absorber is connected to the rear portion of its associated arm below the rotational axis of its associated wheel.   
     
     
       5. The trailer of claim 4, wherein each shock-absorber is connected to the frame above and forwardly of the rotational axis of its associated wheel.   
     
     
       6. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each shock-absorber is connected to the frame above and forwardly of the rotational axis of its associated wheel.   
     
     
       7. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each shock-absorber is disposed in a plane that is in inwardly offset adjacent spaced relation to the rear portion of its respective arm and that passes through or is closely adjacent to the respective opposite side of the frame;   wherein the wheels are located outboard of the frame; and   wherein the rear portions of the arms are respectively located between their adjacent wheels and shock-absorbers.   
     
     
       8. The trailer of claim 1, wherein there are bicycle clamps on the trailer bed.   
     
     
       9. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the peripheries of the wheels extend above the trailer bed when the frame is in its earth-traversing mode and the shock-absorbers are not under load.   
     
     
       10. The trailer of claim 1 for use in carrying bicycles, wherein bicycle fasteners are attached to the frame.   
     
     
       11. The trailer of claim 10, wherein the bicycle fasteners include bicycle frame clamps and bicycle fork clamps.   
     
     
       12. The trailer of claim 10, wherein the fasteners are spaced transversely of the frame.   
     
     
       13. A trailer having earth-traversing and stowed modes, comprising: a load-supporting frame having forward and rearward ends and opposite sides and a trailer bed lying in a generally horizontal plane when the trailer is in said earth-traversing mode;   trailer wheels;   shock-absorbers each including a cylinder and piston circumscribed by a compression spring independently elevationally movably suspending the frame on the wheels for movement between earth-traversing positions in the earth-traversing mode of the trailer wherein the wheels and the shock-absorbers are in transversely spaced relation to each other to support the frame and stowed positions in the stowed mode of the trailer wherein the wheels and shock-absorbers are generally parallel to the frame and folded under the bed thereof; and   a tripod connected to the frame for self-support of the trailer in upstanding position when the wheels are in their stowed positions.   
     
     
       14. The trailer of claim 13, wherein the trailer includes a tow bar releasably connected to the frame in either the earth-traversing mode or the stowed mode; and   wherein the tripod includes legs extended from the frame, said legs also including said tow bar in its stowed mode, said legs being in triangular relation to each other when forming the tripod.   
     
     
       15. The trailer of claim 13, wherein there are bicycle clamps on the load-supporting frame.   
     
     
       16. A bicycle trailer adapted for shipping in kit form, comprising: a main bicycle supporting frame including front, rear, and side members integrally connected in the general shape of a rectangle of predetermined maximum length and width acceptable for shipping, said frame being positionable in a generally horizontal attitude during earth traversal of the trailer;   elongated front and rear mounting members extending transversely of and releasably connected to the side members adjacent to the front and rear members respectively,   said mounting members having lengths greater than said predetermined maximum width, being spaced farther apart than said predetermined maximum length, and constituting a trailer bed disposed in a generally horizontal attitude during earth traversal of the trailer;   bicycle attachment devices for releasably attaching bicycles in upright positions on the mounting members;   a suspension system including arms releasably connected to and under the frame, shock-absorbers releasably interconnecting the arms and the frame, and wheels releasably connected to the arms for supporting the frame for earth-traversing movement; and   a tow bar releasably connected to the frame and extending forwardly thereof, whereby the mounting members, the bicycle attachment devices, the arms, the shock absorbers, the wheels, and the tow bar can be released from the frame and from each other for shipment in packaging not exceeding said predetermined maximum dimensions but can be reassembled so that said trailer bed is able to accommodate a bicycle load whose length and width exceeds said predetermined maximum length and width.   
     
     
       17. The trailer of claim 16, wherein the bicycle attachment devices include a plurality of elongated bicycle channels releasably attached to the mounting members and extending lengthwise of the frame in substantially uniformly spaced relation transversely thereof.   
     
     
       18. The trailer of claim 17, wherein the bicycle attachment devices also include clamps releasably attached to the mounting members for releasably clamping the bicycles in their respective channels.